


These Four Lonely Walls Have Changed (The Way I Feel)

by ellwrites



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellwrites/pseuds/ellwrites
Summary: Ben head to university to study business choosing to live away from home for a bit he rents a flat near his new place of study, Callum is his new roommate, also a business student because honestly what else would these boys study??TBH I don't have a set out plan for this but I have been desperate to write for a while so we shall see where it goes. I am however a sucker for fluff and angst so expect plenty of it.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell, Jay Brown/Lola Pearce, Whitney Dean & Callum "Halfway" Highway
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	1. Moving Day

_Alright, that’s that then…_ Ben thinks to himself as he places the last box into his new room. He takes a step back and looks around. The place is small but not tiny, glad there’s enough space to escape in the chance that he and his new roommate don’t get on.

He tries to busy himself since he doesn’t know anyone or even what is around about, and to be completely honest a walk doesn’t sound like something he even wants to do right now. He starts to unpack his boxes which takes less time than anticipated, apparently he doesn’t own that much stuff to even fill a small apartment, which thankfully already came with the essentials and main furnishings.

His phone vibrates in his jogger bottoms just as he boils the kettle, he pulls it out to see a text message from Lola. He smiles at the photo attached of Lexi sitting on the sofa wearing just her nappy, slice of toast in one hand and an attempt at a thumbs up on the other hand.

_Happy moving day Daddy xx_

He thumbs back a quick message as he hears a knock at the door

_Thanks will call you tonight or tomorrow x_

He walks down the narrow hallway to the door and opens it up to see 2 men, both carrying boxes, standing in front of him. The taller of the two looks a bit stressed, the other looking a bit sour faced.

“Hi, um I think this is the right one? We’re looking for flat 6c?” the taller one starts speaking, Ben nodding to confirm that this was the right flat. “I’m Callum, this is my brother Stuart, he’s just helping with some boxes”

“Come on in, I’m Ben” Ben makes room to let Callum and Stuart in. The two men stand at the end of the hall as they wait for Ben to close the door. “Hope you don’t mind, I’ve put my stuff into the room on the right, they both seem the same size so didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

“no no that’s fine by me, I’m not fussy” Callum smiles as he heads to put his boxes into his room.

Ben leaves Callum and Stuart to it, not wanting to get in the way of the brothers, thankful of the decision he made when he hears the pair bicker every time they leave or come back with more boxes.

An hour or so later Ben hears a knock on his bedroom door. “come in” he calls. Callum slowly opens the door and peers around it “my brother gone, fancy a brew?”

“yea sounds good” Ben says as he stands off his bed and walks to the kitchen with his new roommate. 2

Minutes later the pair are sitting in the living room with brews in hand. “so, tell me about yourself then?” Callum says seeming quite scared for some reason.

“Um well I’m Ben, obviously, I’m 19, from Walford East London, I’m here to study business” Ben informs, hating the fact he has to do small talk. “You?”

“I’m Callum, my mates call me halfway, in 22 so doing the uni thing a bit late, and funnily enough I’m also studying Business.”

“Seems we’ll be spending a lot of time with each other then eh” Ben states

Callum gives him a slight smile “I suppose we will”

The pair spend the rest of the evening in the living room, full of general small talk and ordered in pizza – both agreeing that they will never order pineapple as it just doesn’t belong on a pizza. They head to their separate rooms just after midnight with a plan for the morning to head to Asda for some food and general bits for the house they both forgot.

Ben actually thinks he could begin to like the idea of uni after all.


	2. Meet The Neighbours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another sort of filler chapter, just to introduce more characters etc.   
> Thank you to the people who have taken time to read and leave some messages on here/my tumblr, it really means so much!   
> I also have a more clear plan of where I want to go with this story so that's exciting!

The first week of university is a bit cheesy in Bens opinion, lecturers trying too hard to be fun or quirky just to make a good impression on some kids who have just left school.

Ben and Callum had found themselves getting on quite well, which is good because neither one wanted to live with someone that they couldn’t stand. Callum had quickly realised that Ben was _not_ a morning person. Or even a night person for that matter.

Their first full day of living together they had spent shopping and arranging the rest of the flat, Ben found it a bit strange at first, not having to share a small space – he was definitely used to crowding between living at his dads and his brothers houses- but more having to share the space with a complete stranger. Later that day they received a knock at the door, both boys confused as neither of them had ordered food and still didn’t know anyone yet.

Callum opened the door to see two girls standing in front of him.

“Hi, hope you don’t mind us dropping over like this, I'm Ash and this is my roommate Whitney” the first girl, Ash, explains,

“Hiya, we seen you two coming in this afternoon, we live downstairs” Whitney smiles at Callum.

“Oh, Hi, I’m Callum, umm come on in?” “Living rooms just down there, I’ll let Ben know we’ve got company” Callum points to the door at the end of the hall before heading to knock Bens Door

Two hours later the group found themselves arranging to go out for their first night of ‘freshers’, the girls had informed the boys that they have both already done a year of Uni so know where is actually worth going. They weren’t wrong to Bens happiness and had actually had a decent night out, he may have gotten a bit _too_ drunk but that’s what’s meant to happen isn’t it?

The girls introduce the pair of pairs to some of their friends, Ben doesn’t really think much of any of them, most of them a bit too posh for his liking, except one boy Jay, who he can already tell he will get along well with. Jay lives in the block of flats across the street from the others and explains that his roommate is a bit of a twat so never actually spends time with him.

It’s quite funny how quickly the five of them become friends, how they basically latch on to each other, sharing their courses, the basic facts about themselves, where everyone is from, funny tales of their summers and just general conversation about school.

One night while they are sitting in Ash and Whitney’s flat playing Cards Against Humanity, Ben receives a facetime from Lola, he answers quickly knowing that it will be Lexi.

“Daddy!” the young girl proclaims when she sees Bens face on the screen

“Hello, my darlin’” Ben smiles and excuses himself out to the landing to take the call.

When Ben leaves the room the four others are left looking at each other confused

“Did that kid just call him daddy?” Jay speaks up first

“Surely he would have mentioned having a kid? Did you know Callum? Whitney asks, turning to look at Callum

“No, not mentioned it to me, he is on facetime every night but I think he wears earphones, can only ever hear him” Callum replies, just as confused as the others.

Ben returns minutes later and takes his previous place back around the small circle they had made on the floor. “Right, my turn?”

The others decide to follow Bens lead and just get on with the game, however several hours later after several more drinking games, Jay decides he needs to ask. He and Ben are standing outside the bottom of the flats, braving the rain for a cigarette. “Soooo, daddy then are ya?”

“Yea, yea got a daughter, Lexi” Ben smiles slightly at the thought of the toddler.

“Got a bird then?” Jay said as he stubs his cigarette into the ground with his foot

“nah, one night stand type of thing, good mates though” Ben replies, doing the same with his cigarette before the pair head back upstairs and joining the others once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TUMBLR ; benxcallumx   
> Come chat xx


	3. First Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Callum and Whitney's Relationship... hope it works out for them...  
> I honestly hate the first few chapters of writing because its just like treading carefully and having to get small stuff across before anything actually good can happen, I promise its coming!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!   
> TUMBLR ; benxcallumx

“urgh” Ben groans as he trudges down the hallway to the kitchen, pulling his t-shirt on as he walks. “Criminal to be awake this early”

“oh come on, ten am lectures aren’t even that bad” Callum responds, turning around as he hears Ben enter the room. “kettles just been boiled if you fancy a brew”

Ben pours himself a cuppa and plants down on the sofa drinking quickly. “they might not be that bad, but for some reason my roommate seems to think I need to be awake an hour and a half before class even starts”

Callum grins at Bens remark, “seems like a great guy”

After what felt like forever Ben and Cullum’s day was done, “want to text the others and we can start early tonight?” ben asks as they head to his car from their last class.

“Oh I’m headin out, ‘m meeting Whit actually” Callum replies casually

“Hold up, you and Whitney? This a date or summit?” Ben questions

“A date? No course its not, she text me earlier and asked if I fancied checking out that dessert place near the flat that’s all”

“yea yea if you say so lover boy” Ben replies as they finally head towards the flat.

 _Its weird being in the flat alone._ Ben thinks to himself. Of course there had been times were he had been there by himself, like when Callum heads to the shops or that one time that he was too hungover to go to his lecture, but it still just felt weird.

He decided to head downstairs to the girls flat, texting Ash first to make sure she was there, which she thankfully was. He decided to text Jay aswell

_Heading to Ash and Whits bro, you comin?_

_See you in 10, just out shower._ Jays reply comes just as Ben gets downstairs.

“so, no Whitney yet?” Ben casually asks Ash

“no, isn’t it so fun that they like each other” She gushes, obviously happy for her best friend.

“Like each other? Come on Ash its only some ice cream” Ben almost snaps back.

“Oh leave it off you, you almost sound Jealous, you fancy Whit too?”

Just as Ben opens his mouth to object, he hears the door open and close, seconds later Callum and Whit appear in the living room.

“We brought more drink, think we finished most of it last week” Whitney explains as she heads to the kitchen, Ash getting off the sofa and following Whitney to the other room.

Callum takes a seat on the sofa that Ben is on, “You drank yet?” he questions.

“Nah not yet, just got here.” Ben responds, turning to Callum he continues “soooo how was the date” with a teasing tone.

Callum just laughs “still not a date Ben”

And Ben would probably believe him, after all opposite genders can just be friends, but as the night goes on and the drunker the friends all get the little looks and touches between Callum and Whitney become more obvious. Ben catches himself rolling his eyes at it a couple of times, but no one seems to notice thankfully.

At around twelve thirty he stands up from the table, less drunk than he would like to be. “Guys I'm gonna head home now” he announces

Several groans and shocked questions from his friends later and he manages to escape the pounding noise of the bar, telling his friends that hes seeing Lex tomorrow and doesn’t want to be too hungover for her. His friends accept this answer and remind him to say hey to Lexi and Lola for them.

The next day Ben arrives in the square where he has lived his whole life, he sits in his car outside waiting for Lola and Lexi to appear, texting Lola to let her know that he has arrived.

Moments later as he is scrolling on his phone, he is brought back to reality by a small child knocking on his window and jumping up and down as they do so “DADDY!!”

Ben gets out of the car, wraps his arms around Lexi and stands up, lifting her with him. “Hello princess” he plants a kiss to her forehead; he misses her so much when he is away.

The three spend the day at the zoo, Ben can’t help but buy Lexi the stuffed panda she spots in the gift shop, Lola joking about how much their daughter has Ben wrapped right around her little finger.

“Yea well I'm not with her every day, gotta remind her I love ‘er” Ben sighs

Lola strokes his arm, “don’t be daft, she knows you do”.

It breaks Bens heart watching Lexi being lifted out of the car and into the house, the excitement of the day just being too much for her as she fell asleep as soon as they got into the car.

“Thank you, we had a great day” Lola smiled before turning and heading into the door. Ben smiles and drives away heading back to his own flat.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thank you for taking the time to read.   
> There wil l be inaccuracies in this, ivenver been to uni or had a roommate or been a gay male. In my head they done live in uni accomdation so their flat is bigger than normal dorms but its like 2 beds, 1 bath and a living room/ joined kitchen.   
> Currently my update plan is a Monday and Thursday but we are in lockdown so could be more, who knows?   
> TUMBLR ; benxcallumx   
> Come chat please I'd love to get to know some more of our fandom.


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